Con Crusade
by skw-written
Summary: You'd think that after a several billion year war, bots would want to just relax and live. Unfortunately the opposite is more likely to occur. Hatred and pain take a long time to heal and disappear, in some cases to offer relief, unfair opportunities are made to create space between conflicting sides. Usually the consequences of those choices come back to bite hard, or does it?...
1. A Calling

**A Calling**

A world never changes, it merely flows in an endless loop.

There are seasons of hardships and seasons of prosperity, then there are moments of transition from one to the other.

Nothing is ever new.

War? Has gone on and off for millennia. Always two major sides. Always some form of Decepticons and Autobots.

Peace? A lie. There is never peace. Only the illusion of such an ideal.

Was Cybertron in a time of either? No. While the war was declared officially over, bots of all shapes and sizes were still taking sides. For as long as a conflict endures, it takes twice as long to heal the wounds.

As far as the optic can see is pain and prejudice. Decepticons are no more free now than when the war began. Hatred still remains in the sparks of every bot. There'd be no peace. Only another war.

What of the Autobots? They suffered too.

Not as much as every con that took up arms.

A common misconception, there are two sides. One bad. The other good. How can one look at the universe with such a narrow idea?

One who looks at another and declares them the villain has not tasted true loss. No Decepticon joined the war to merely wreak havoc. All were victims of a cruel caste system. All wanted freedom and equality. How can one look at another and judge their actions without looking at the reason they acted the way they had?

A muffled sigh left the mech's articulator as he eyed the message sent mere nano clicks before:

 **By order of the Cybertronian council.**

 **You are required to appear at the next hearing in two solar cycles exactly.**

 **This is not a request.**

 **Be present or we will consider you a hostile.**

 **-High council member Jazz. Delegation, informant.**

He closed the message after skimming over it for the hundredth time. Something about it was off. But he was no hostile. Not anymore. What they wanted couldn't be anything he hadn't already dealt with.

He shifted his optics to the bots walking, driving, or flying around him. All, or at least most, had a place. A job. A purpose.

What was his? It had been seven years since his release from that accursed prison… And still he was regarded with hatred and fear.

A split decision. Only one answer.

The black mech moved off the street down a fairly vacant alleyway. He needed more info. And knew only one way to get it. Two if he was willing to look like a helpless fool.

Within an instant a minicon leaped out of a rippling purple vortex before him. The portal closed and the small cat-like bot sat on the ground before his master.

"Ravage, verify and report." He sent a copy of the message to the black minicon. With one last look at his master the feline darted away, leaping between pedestrians and remaining out of sight for the most part.

All he could do was wait. For either the minicon's report or the date of the council hearing. Or revert to plan B. But that was not an option at this time.

He turned, weaving his way back into the traffic of the main street.

Cybertron had grown and changed so much over the few stellar cycles, and not entirely for the better. Other bots were completely blind to it.

The mech moved at a steady pace, one firmly planted ped after the other. Cybertronians parted the way before him, even going as far as to push others to get out of his way themselves. Few sent him looks of fear, more looks of hatred. He could care less. He knew exactly who would win if a fight actually broke out. It wasn't pride, it was fact. Only one could beat him. Only one other came close.

He kept his gaze ahead, not that anyone would guess otherwise with his mask up. His mind still on the council. They only called on bots when there was an issue, and considering the badge he carried and the still prejudice minds of bots, he was more than likely the cause of the issue.

Him or another like him…

He slowed his pace at the new thought. Perhaps he was merely being brought in as a consultant for an old colleague or soldier. He couldn't imagine who would have caused enough trouble for the council to act.

The mech shrugged it off and resumed his original speed. He would know soon enough.

Time passed slowly. He had received word from the minicon the solar cycle prior, but nothing more recent. The information gathered did little to tell him of the council's goals. The only thing remotely intriguing was the presence of an old protege.

He stared at the transmission from the council and the recent update from Ravage. What was the connection? His servos clenched tightly in concentration. Only a few hours remained before he was required to appear, and he refused to show up with no upfront information. Call it a habit, call it obsessive, but the tactic had only served him well over the millennia of war and life.

The black mech's thoughts turned to the option he had yet to use. He tensed at the thought of having to turn to another for facts, yet it was the only thing he had left.

With an audible sigh he opened his comm frequency for the first time in what could only be described as too long, and opened a link with his old protege.

For a long torturous moment the other end remained dead silent, giving him enough time to reconsider the idea.

That's when a familiar voice spoke up. "Soundwave? For the love of energon, I never thought it'd be you. Took me a bit to get over the shock."

He couldn't help but smile ever so slightly beneath his mask at the thought of her with a surprised expression. "Greetings, Eclipse."

The femme snorted quietly on the other end of the link. "You're not one for social calls. What do you need?"

"Information."

"Figures. Should I be honored that you think so highly of me?" Her tone was laced with sarcasm.

He closed his optics a moment. "I received a transmission from the high council."

"Oh that. I got one too. Went in to find out what it was about." She let out half of a laugh. "It's not what you'd expect."

He frowned. "Explain."

"No way. I like being the one with all the cards for once. You'll just have to wait and see with the others." He could clearly imagine the smug grin on her face.

"There are ways of getting cards back."

"Only if you play the game."

He rubbed his visor. This was exactly why he never went to her for information. She always found some way to get under his plating and threaten to expose his emotions. "You will tell me nothing then?"

There was a pause. "Well, since you're obviously dying to know… They sent the transmission to all former Decepticons living on Cybertron and the moons."

"For what purpose?" He could probably figure it out on his own, but there was a chance now that she would give up all her cards.

"Guess. You're a smart mech." The link clicked and buzzed as it was severed.

He stared at his Habitation Suite wall for a long while, simply replaying the conversation over in his mind. A new transmission sent by Ravage interrupted with a soft buzz before it appeared on his internal screen.

He frowned, reading it three times over before leaning back against a wall.

A starship was being prepared by order of the council. Quite large from what the minicon could apparently see.

The pieces began to fit together.

All the former cons.

A large star cruiser.

And a council ready to turn hostile if any should protest.

Were they really going to try such a task?

Considering the makeup of the council it wasn't a completely surprising idea. But to expect all ex-cons to act willingly was a bit optimistic. Surely this ordeal would break out in a small fist fight... or worse.

Why on Cybertron would they test the delicate balance of peace? Were they really that stupid? Who walks out with long proud strides onto thin ice? Who leaps onto shifting ground?

No… There was a piece he was missing. He recalled the conversation he had had. 'It's not what you'd expect.' The words of his former student filled his processor.

Was this the unexpected conclusion, or was it beyond his own reasoning so far?

The chime of his timepiece grabbed his attention. It was nearly time for the hearing, and he was no more prepared than when he had first received the message.

Reluctantly he stood and strode out through the door, down the corridor and elevator shaft, and out onto the street.

No more could be done. It was time to face his fate… whatever that entailed.

The fading light of the star above filtered through the floor to ceiling windows, leaving orange stripes along the reflective metal floor. The ceiling was domed, its highest point in the center. Chandeliers of glass and metal dangled from above, scattering the light even more.

Several bots, large and small, stood within the large chamber. None of which moved forward into the actual council room.

Odd.

Soundwave weaved his way through the crowd, determined to find out what exactly was going on. Glancing at the others faces he saw just as much confusion and annoyance as he felt.

A loud screech filled the room, causing many to groan and wince. He moved his gaze to locate the source and found the council member Windblade standing erect on an elevated platform. "Welcome all. We are grateful to you for heeding our message. In a few moments the hearing will begin. As not all of you will fit in the chamber, we request your patience as a few of you are allowed in. The others may watch on the monitor we have set up. Thank you." Her gaze swept the room as the news hit the ex-cons within, and settled on him momentarily. She gave a nod in greeting then gestured toward the entrance.

He frowned in confusion, but moved as directed. Where guards held others at bay, they readily let him pass. Yet another mystery.

The hearing chamber was not as decorated as the lobby. It was a simple rectangle, with risers on either side and a high platform with a wall going half up on the far end. Upon this platform stood the three other council members: Ratchet, Bulkhead, and Jazz.

All looked very serious, a couple even eyed him with irritation. He dropped his optics to the floor. Too often had he seen hatred and anger toward him, he would not allow himself to look intimidated by ducking his helm, but avoiding optic contact was appropriate.

As he moved closer he was only somewhat surprised to notice two other figures on the same level as himself. His pace slowed as he eyed the tall, robust, silver mech. With long curled spikes reaching the air well over his helm, each a bronze color near the tips.

The mech stood erect, probably knowing his strength and skill surpassed every other in the chamber. Though his face revealed a passive look, as if he'd completely changed his outlook on life.

It was Soundwave's first time seeing the mech he had once called master since the day he was trapped. He had seen the warlord die and fall to earth, unable to do anything but follow in that accursed dimension.

What else had changed?

"And here I thought you wouldn't come." He turned to the speaker, a medium blue femme, short as far as aerial bots were concerned. Her face conveyed a smug grin, but optics showed she was grateful to see him. When had that changed? Last he saw her, his apprentice of old, she had convinced the high council to release him from the Shadowzone - which had also been unexpected.

He moved forward, now standing between them with a small nod of acknowledgement.

Above them the council sat, not intimidating as one would expect bots in power to be, although it was somewhat hard to take such familiar old enemy faces seriously.

Windblade slipped in quietly after letting the stands lining the rooms be filled with curious ex-cons.

"I suppose there's a lot of questions circling around the building right now." Jazz stood, addressing the room in as formal a way he could. "One, I'm sure everyone has asked… what's the intent here? You've probably seen that the entire room is filled with fellow, old Decepticons. Rest at ease when I say this is not an interrogation, nor is it to condemn or accuse you of wrong done."

"We have been observing the population since the war was declared over." Windblade stood, giving Jazz a look of apology. "There still is a lot of hostility… from both former sides. As a result, we, the high council, have decided to create space between the two factions of old for a time until things become quieter."

Jazz nodded and turned back to the crowd gathered. "That being said, let's get down to brass tacks. There's an opportunity to escape all the hate. Both former sides are invited to cruise, although we're encouraging one a bit more."

Sounds of murmurs and angered mumbles filled the room. Soundwave couldn't blame them, he felt the same. These were former Autobots and they wanted a happy peaceful life without trouble-causing ex-cons.

"I think I speak for nearly everybot present…" The booming voice of the former warlord rang throughout the room, proving that the mech had had experience in the area of public speaking. "But you, oh high council, seem to be just as prejudice as anyone else. Why not cast out former Autobots, as they are just as guilty as we of creating conflict, if not more so?"

It was Bulkhead who stood. "Because we won the war, Optimus Prime put us in charge of guarding and caring for this planet. Jazz said the offer was for everyone, that includes Autobots, but some of you still wear your own badge. Why shouldn't we push for all of you to leave?"

Ratchet grabbed Bulkhead's shoulder. "What my colleague means is, we have set rules as Autobots. And we just wish to know for certain if you can be trusted. It's a precaution."

"How much more do we need to prove ourselves before you leave us alone to live on our own planet?" The blue femme, Eclipse, stepped forward with a rather loud stomp. "I know many have already paid for their crimes and yet you still test us with the same reasoning behind it… we're all ex-Decepticons."

Several shouts and calls echoed the room, as well as the ever growing sound of conversation.

Windblade stared at the three before her with a hard look before she raised her arms for silence, which finally came a few nano clicks later. "There is much to clean up after a long war… we are merely asking that you do your part. Hear us out. We are working very hard to make Cybertron a more pleasant and free place to live. But that goal takes time, and is easier to accomplish when there are fewer lives to affect the balance." She swept the room with her gaze. "You have the option to go on this quest of sorts, just as former Autobots do. We are forcing no one. But since the objective of this opportunity is closer to you ex-cons, we're offering this to you first. Not exclusively. First."

Ratchet nodded. "Shortly after this we will be addressing former Autobots with the same option."

"And what does this quest entail?" The silver mech raised an optic ridge.

The council members exchanged looks, each waiting for the other to respond.

The large green ex-wrecker cleared his vocals. "It's a crusade across the stars to tear down the remaining Decepticon outposts. We're worried they'll hear that Cybertron was won by the opposing side and attack us."

"Which is another reason why we think you former cons are best for the job. If need be, you guys could infiltrate their ranks and take them down from within." Jazz smirked.

"So you want us… me, the creator of this cause, the name in which all they do is acted under, the face they follow into battle, the voice they heed… you want me to tear down what took millennia to build?" Megatron frowned, making optic contact with every member on the platform above him.

Jazz shrugged. "You make it sound worse than it is. Those bots are still committing acts of war, we just want you all to stop that violence."

Soundwave turned his gaze to the former warlord. He could see where the council wanted to know whether Megatron had truly changed or not. There was tension, and every other bot seemed to sense it as well. The air was still with anticipation.

Megatron closed his optics, deep in thought for what seemed like eternity. Then, with a calm manner, he raised his helm and looked upon the council members again. "While I hate to see something I worked for taken down… I no longer believe in that cause. If they are oppressing others under my name or the name of the Decepticon cause, I will, without hesitation, put an end to the suffering of innocence."

"Excellent." Windblade gave a nod, then turned to address the crowd gathered. "Now it's your turn, fellow cybertronians. There is a starship at the old Iacon launch pad. If you are willing and ready to go on this quest, please report there for further instruction. You are all dismissed."

A low rumble of voices and movement echoed around as the crowd slowly but surely exited the large council chamber.

"But you three…" The femme called, addressing Soundwave and his two compatriots. They all stopped and turned back to the council. "There will be the issue of a leader for this expedition. And we have discussed the matter thoroughly."

"Like there needs to be discussion." Eclipse snorted, throwing her servo to the left. "All hail Megatron, anyone? He's experienced."

Jazz let out a chuckle. "Experienced, yeah. But not entirely trustworthy… No offense, dude."

"None taken. I understand your wariness."

Windblade straitened. "So it is the council's wish to make you, Eclipse, the captain of the starship."

The blue femme's jaw dropped. "M-me?! What in sparks sake makes you think I would be a better leader than these two?"

Jazz smiled. "Simple. You've shown how well you work with 'bots and 'cons alike. You've demonstrated leadership while on Earth when Bee couldn't. And girl, that argument you pulled earlier, we have noticed how much you've changed. You ain't required to go. We asked you to come here to request you lead it."

((Author's note: Oh boy, starting the first long fanfic... not an easy feat. However, I plan on getting chapters out at a fairly consistent rate. But knowing me that probably won't happen. Anyway, hope you all enjoy! I always love comments and feedback.))

Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers franchies, idea, or any of the canon characters. Only the few OCs to appear.


	2. Battle of the Bold

Battle of the Bold

The hull loomed over the new captain's helm. Such a large vessel and for reasons beyond her, she was in charge of every life to board it.

A sense of dread washed over her. Who was she to lead? What experience did she have? Her only way of living had been for herself, with only recent situations calling for supporting. But nothing on this level! There was even a famous strategist onboard. One who had lead a vast army for countless stellar cycles, and the council gave the mantle to her.

Her gaze shifted to the bay doors opened wide for the line of bots to be checked and let onboard.

How many? How many were putting their lives in her servos?

Bots of all shapes and sizes, colors and factions waited. Each speaking with another near them. It was a comfort to see a few former Autobots conversing with ex-Decepticons, but not enough to wash away her fears.

There was already too much energon on her servos… She couldn't bear having a whole shipload on her record as well.

"Quite the gathering. I believe the only other larger one was the mass exodus after Cybertron fell dark." The voice was easy enough to place, Megatron had a very distinct pattern to his vocals.

She glanced at him briefly, not wanting to show her concerns. But his expression seemed harmless, kind even. "Seems a lot want off this confused planet."

He hummed softly. "They try to run from problems instead of facing them." His arm extended toward the crowd. "See there. Many of these Cybertronians never chose a side. They ran away before and are doing it again."

"Do you suggest I turn them away?"

He let out a long sigh, waiting a moment to reply. "No. It's their choice whether or not to come. But that does not mean they will be of any use to our mission."

"And this theory is based off what they did during the war?"

"Something along those lines. But tell me… you have been standing, rooted to this spot ever since the council meeting. Do you not want to explore your starship before the launch?"

She dropped her gaze. "Space is a big place… there'll be plenty of time to explore between visiting planets."

"I shall miss Cybertron as well."

Her helm swiveled around, optics wide with unspoken questions.

"It does not take a surveillance bot to see what truly torments another's thoughts." His expression remained stoic.

"I haven't been on Cybertron all that long… only really during the beginnings of the war, and recently."

He nodded. "Most of that time Cybertron wasn't much of a place to return to. But hear me, Eclipse, it will be here when we return. One last test to prove our new outlook and then we can remain on Cybertron until the Allspark claims our lives."

"And if we join it sooner? If it claims us while out in space?"

He smirked, placing a firm servo on her shoulder. "Oh, but you are much too stubborn to let that happen. Keep your optics on the end goal. You've survived much so far in life. I would be disappointed if some alien creature or Decepticon claimed your life."

She relaxed some, allowing a soft chuckle to escape. "Nice pep talk. You should really consider making this your new career."

"Her humor returns! Come, you should greet the bots under your command."

"Only if I have to." Her grin lingered as she walked next to the tall silver mech toward the starship.

Soundwave stood near the entrance, overseeing the bots that entered with another mech. Said mech was white with black and grey sharpening his look. He was shorter than the black ex-con, sharing only the faceless look with his dark visor that merged with his mask.

Megatron moved up the ramp, bots quickly clearing a path for him. Some even left the line altogether.

Closely following was Eclipse. She didn't hold as much of an opposing reputation, but one enough to make another large group of bots leave with disgust written all over their faceplates.

Her gaze moved to the floor. Though many stellar cycles had passed since her crimes, it hurt considerably when bots still treated her with more disdain than a hoard of Scraplets. And now that reputation was coming back to bite her as one by one bots left when they saw her board.

In silence she moved passed the two mechs acting as door guards, trying her best to ignore the curious gaze sent by the black mech to her left. She inwardly groaned when Megatron stopped to speak with them and all but blocked the narrow ramp with his frame.

"How many have signed on?"

The white mech replied with a rough, garbled voice, sounding almost like a bad signaled radio. "At least a hundred or so." He held up the tally board.

Megatron gave a nod. "Sufficient. And many more yet to board, I see."

As if on cue or practiced many times, a handful of bots slowly slipped from the line. Sauntering away with ease and keeping their optics straight ahead to avoid looking like they were in a rush.

The femme shook her helm, releasing a short burst of air. How many more would turn away before this cycle was over? Why hadn't the council made it clear who lead this mission, or what the missions purpose truly was?

The white mech tucked the tally board under his arm. "Not if they keep dispersing like that." He thrust his thumb toward the group that had just disappeared through the crowd. "I can only imagine the reason…" His voice became low as he eyed the former warlord.

"Some, it would seem, need much more time and space to change an outlook on life. But losing a few should not deter us." He motioned for Eclipse to approach. "I suggest you help oversee the bots to come aboard, captain, while Soundwave and I prepare the bridge for you."

She shifted slightly. While the silver mech had a straight expression, his optics were warm and encouraging. Unfortunately that made her shudder more than be comforted. "Right… Yeah."

Her shoulders sagged watching the two slip into the ship and away from the silently judging crowd. Some captain she was. Taking orders from another. But with her lack of experience, it was the inevitable.

What sounded like the attempt at a cough grabbed her attention. The white mech tapped his ped softly and watched her with a tilted helm and, one could only assume, a raised optic ridge. "Permission to continue, captain?"

She shook off the disappointment in his voice and straightened, turning to the crowd. "Granted, sergeant…?"

"StormTrooper."

She smirked. "Sargent Storm it is then. Proceed."

He shook his helm, motioning for the next bot to step forward.

And thus was the pattern of the next several clicks. One bot at a time. One after the other. All answering the same questions. Only a few had skills needed for higher ranks or maintenance, and that was the moment Eclipse was needed to offer a position. Otherwise she was standing uselessly, trying her best not to show a bad human habit of yawning.

On the rare occasion that an ex-con recognized her and addressed her with enthusiasm and excitement, Eclipse actually felt worse. All they ever remembered, all they ever brought up was… 'remember how you killed…' 'Hey, I was in that battle too…' 'Did you really snuff Sentinel?' 'How many kills do you have? My friend and I made a bet…'

It was almost as irritating as listening to Starscream gloat. She knew they meant well, but they were measuring her worth against war crimes, as if she were only good during a war. She had always tried so hard to forget those days… and now a bunch of happy-go-lucky fans were reopening every old scar she had worked to close.

Was it so hard for the council to just let her hide in a hole and forget everything? Couldn't they just forget she existed?

"Next!" Storm waved his servo, ushering another bot inside.

"Ready for duty, sir!" She glanced up, eyeing the overly enthusiastic, bright blue mech as he stood erect, right servo to his forehelm in salute.

"Name?"

"Delirium, sir."

"Any specific skill sets?"

"Uh, well… I can shoot, and punch, and kick, and fight real well basically…" He grinned, apparently pleased with the long yet very un-detailed list he had just provided.

Eclipse let out a loud groan as she pushed herself up from the surprisingly comfortable sprawled out position. "This is taking way too long."

"It's standard procedure to check each bot before letting them onboard." Storm tensed, irritated at being interrupted.

"I'm not saying open the doors wide and let every bot in." Her articulator turned up in a mischievous grin. "I propose we try a different way."

She turned to the surprised blue mech. "You're a good fighter, ey… De-lir-ium..?" The name came out slowly as she eyed the datapad in Storm's servo.

"Yeah! Er- I mean, yes ma'am." He shifted nervously, though his expression was still one of excitement. "Most bots call me Dee though."

She smirked, sneaking a look at StormTrooper. "Good. Nicknames are much easier to remember. You already won some points."

His frame shook with glee.

"However… I can't say I believe you on the whole 'good fighter' statement." She shrugged. "Call me old fashioned but I've always liked… demonstrations of bravado."

Delirium eyed her skeptically. "You mean I have to prove I'm a warrior by fighting someone?... Now?"

"Precisely."

"Is that… ya know, legal?"

"Should be. Captain makes the rules, right."

He blinked, looking at the white mech near her in surprise while pointing and mouthing 'captain?'

Storm seemingly rolled his optics. "Captain, no one needs to prove their skill. We all just got out of a war."

Her optics drifted to the crowd waiting with a frown. "Not all of us."

The two mechs followed her gaze and understood her meaning nearly the same instant.

"But-"

"Captain! We can't force bots to fight in order to board!"

She let out one short laugh. "Who said I was gonna make them? But if bots are unwilling to fight here, what chance do you think there is that they will when we actually are faced with a threat?" She turned to Delirium. "All I need is one fight. Just to prove that we mean business and that this isn't some luxury cruise."

"And you want me to fight, why?"

"You admitted yourself that you were a fighter. Plus the Autobot badge still on your chest helped to prove that. Besides, you seem happy enough to just have one last adventure in life."

He nodded. "Makes sense… Who am I fighting?"

"Him." She thrust her thumb toward the white mech to her left.

Storm fumbled with the datapad. "What?!"

She smirked. "That way I can watch the action."

"Captain, while I see the reasoning behind a fight, I don't want to risk hurting this… kid!"

Delirium tensed. "I can hold my own in a fist fight! Maybe you're too worried about dirtying that white paint of yours."

"Oh I'm the one too scared to mess up a paint job!? Have you looked in the mirror recently, shiny?"

The blue mech fisted his servos and moved mere inches from the other mech. Both glaring at the other as the tension rose.

"Knew you two would see reason. Don't throw the first punch until I announce the new plan." Eclipse pushed the two aside and slipped between them, making her way toward the edge of the ramp. "Greetings! Look, I know you guys have been waiting a while already, but there will be a little change of plans regarding entry. While asking questions is great, I'm just not a fan. So instead we'll be having a little 'battle of the bold', if you will." She grinned as a couple bots were already slowly slipping away. "Now I know what you're thinking… do you have a choice in the matter? Well of course you do! What kinda captain would I be if I took that away?" Her optics trailed after several others after acknowledging her place on the ship. "You can choose to either fight Mr. Personality up there in white… or myself. Good luck."

She took a few paces backwards, keeping up her dead serious face despite her wish to laugh aloud. As she rose higher onto the ramp she watched countless more cybertronians turn and give up their initial motive.

Once back at the door hatch, she pushed the arguing mechs aside and resumed her sitting spot on the floor. "You guys can start the contest now. I think there's a few still skeptical."

"Fine by—"

Storm laid the first blow, cutting off the blue mech's remark.

Delirium stumbled back a pace, then turned, determination written all over his face. He thrust his right arm forward causing the white mech to duck, then used his leg to kick Storm in the face and fling him to his back.

StormTrooper growled, rolling over backwards and up to his peds as Delirium pounded his fists into the ground where he had been.

"Nice try, rookie." The white mech smirked, clenching his fists and swung them at his opponent.

Delirium blocked the blows by grabbing his oncoming fists. "I'm no rookie!" He thrust his right ped into the others engine, sending him sliding back with a screech of metal.

Eclipse turned her gaze from the evenly matched mechs to the crowd. Many of them watched with alarming excitement. Others indignant expressions. And the few with looks of disgust before turning and leaving.

She smiled, although small, watching her ingenious plan unfold. What better way to weed out the bots?

A firm servo on her shoulder caused her to jump up and whip around in a defensive pose.

"Eclipse! What are you doing?" Soundwave's deep voice rang with displeasure. He stared at her, no doubt with a big fat frown on his covered face.

"I'm checking bots to board. What's it look like?"

He tensed, pointing at the battling mechs. "That is not checking."

She shook his servo off. "Sure it is! I'm scaring off all those vacation seekers."

He rocked his helm, moving to the mechs. As they rushed back at each other, he placed himself between them, holding them apart with a servo on each. "Enough." With a hard shove he pushed the two away. Leaving each to cool down.

With one motion, he ordered StormTrooper back to his original task and Delirium inside. Then, facing the femme, he thrust his helm toward the ship and walked behind her as she entered reluctantly.

They moved in tensed silence. Eclipse feeling more like a prisoner than a captain. Apparently it was normal to interfere and question a superior's orders.

"What's your problem?!" She whipped around, unable to stand the quiet any longer.

He stood erect, remaining silent. Which was his best skill to do.

"I had a plan! I was trying to make things move faster! Do you want a bunch of random cybertronian pacifists walking these halls using up energon and space?"

"The reasoning behind your theory was sound. But the method was not."

"What? A former gladiator doesn't approve of two bots fighting to scare off the non-helpful?!" Her frame shook with frustration.

He leaned forward. "No. However, you accomplished what you wanted yet failed to stop the fight. Those mechs are better intact than stuck in the medical suite."

"I was gonna!"

"Evidence suggests otherwise."

She threw her servos up. "Fine! Why don't you be captain, huh? Since you know what to do and when to do it!"

He stepped back, heaving a sigh. "I'm not stealing your rank. I agree with the council's choice. But that does not mean you won't need advice."

Her helm fell to the floor. "I don't know how to lead, Soundwave…"

"Questions are not a sign of weakness, but of growth."

She shifted, rubbing her arm. "Take me to the bridge… first lieutenant." The words left in a hoarse whisper.

He gave a nod and moved past her, keeping a steady pace.

She tried to watch the dim lighting and let her mind wander, but with each step she grew more and more concerned.


	3. I Need Space

The engines rumbled to life, kicking out a thick cloud of steam around the ship. Slowly the large craft rose off the ground, making its way out of the metallic planets thin atmosphere.

The crew erupted into cheers and shouts of joy as soon as the vessel was free from Cybertron's gravity… all but the handful of navigators and officers stationed on the bridge. Said room was a good size, with controls, panels, buttons, and screens lining each wall to the front and sides. Directly before the captain's chair was a large window, where the stars grew more intense and bright with each passing tick.

Soundwave, standing in his appointed place beside the center seat, swept his gaze over the expanse of the area, watching each bot with speculating interest. He recognized a few, but there were a couple he couldn't place. Some faces that peaked his curiosity as well as wariness.

Voices from the hall behind drew his attention. The door opened with a soft whoosh and the reputable captain stepped though, followed by a rather short, dark purple mech. His face was supposed to look relaxed, but appeared more strained with frustration. He could only guess why as his gaze shifted to the blue femme.

"Two hundred… and all of them have quarters, Blackheart?"

"Yes ma'am."

She glanced at the floor. "They all have assigned positions?"

"Yes."

"What about instructions for-"

"Listen, most everything is taken care of, captain." The small mech rolled his optics. "You're not needed. Now if you don't mind…" He turned back and slipped out the door before it hissed shut.

Eclipse stiffened, clenching her servos. "Of all the bots to give a tour… I hope you're happy, stick in the mud!" She exhaled sharply, turning from the door only to duck her helm when she met every bot's gaze. "Just because I'm not needed doesn't mean you aren't. Back to work!"

Everyone quickly moved back to their duties, making sure to be quiet lest they draw the irritated captain's attention.

She grunted, stomping over to her chair where she plopped down, arms crossed and a pout that would make a sparkling jealous.

"You finished the tour." There seemed to be a wave of relief from the crew when Soundwave, master of keeping quiet, broke the tense silence.

The femme snorted, closing her optics. "If you call it that. Next time I pick the guide!"

"You _were_ the one to pick Blackheart despite his loud protests."

"Can you for once just let something be your fault?" Her face turned up, frowned expression meeting his gaze.

He felt himself give into a smirk. "Not when it is most nearly always yours."

"Can I fire you?"

"No. You can however demote me or court-martial me."

She sighed. "Forget it, I'm too lazy to find a replacement." Pushing herself up, she took a deep breath . "Where are we headed?"

The mech produced a data pad from behind him. "This is a list the Council gave us of all the known Decepticon outposts." His face hardened. "At least the ones they trust us to attend to."

Eclipse took the pad, searching his face then the screen in her servo. "There's only a handful on this list! I can name a dozen more."

"It would appear they are fearful of the possibility that we would instead join forces with the stronger outposts and mount an attack on the council and Cybertron." A strong voice boomed from behind, slowly approaching Eclipse from the opposite side of Soundwave. "They have not named a tenth of the current operational posts."

"Hurtful, but not surprising. Options?"

"Under different circumstances, I would suggest we take down the larger, more pressingly dangerous ones. However, considering this is also a test set up by the Council, it would be wise to heed their instructions." The large, silver mech turned his gaze from the large window down to the considerably smaller femme.

"Alright, good input…" She turned to Soundwave. "Thoughts?"

He dropped his gaze, frowning. "I doubt we have any other options. We simply follow orders."

There was a brief moment of silence before Eclipse let out a scornful laugh. "Why bother putting me in charge if the council was just going to give us orders? No. I'm in command. The council can complain and make suggestions all they like, but I don't follow orders… I make them."

The black mech exchanged a look with the former warlord across from him, who seemed happy, proud even at the femme's proclamation. She did seem more rooted in her place than the days prior, more confident, which was what all leaders needed. In all honesty, he himself was rather pleased with Eclipse for standing her ground as a leader, but he had to wonder what this path would lead to.

"Where to, captain?" Megatron smirked, resting a servo on the back of her chair.

She grinned. "Where else? The big kahuna! We're going where Autobots have feared to tread throughout the war… E-6."

The room fell deathly quiet, all optics on the blue femme.

Soundwave chanced a glance at the crew, spying several surprised looks, but also a couple hateful, angered ones… not entirely odd considering the makeup of the crew, but still unnerving. He turned back to Eclipse, an optic ridge raising above the other behind his visor. "Are you certain?"

"Think of it, Sounders, the Council wants us to snuff out flickers when we have the power to stop citywide infernos." She shifted her weight, sitting straighter. "I won't leave any more room for them to question our change of spark."

He let out a long sigh. "The Council will not respond warmly." He met the femme's gaze sternly.

Megatron hummed softly. "A fair point. We are already under scrutinizing optics, why risk making things worse?"

"Well bolts, if you're scared of E-6 I can go alone." She smirked, rolling her optics, then her expression turned dark. "I don't give a scrap what the Council thinks, we were sent out to take down Decepticon outposts, and that's exactly what we're going to do." She shifted her yellow optics toward the window. "Set a course for the Ijurn quadrant."

—

Smoldering wreckage covered a large portion of the visible area. The stench of burning metal and energon filled the air, near to the point of it being toxic. There were screams and cries everywhere, echoing off the large outpost structures. The landscape surrounding was barren, solid rock, with only a few miles of organic foliage left on the planet. Which was where escapees and the natives hid.

A loud hiss left the ship that had just landed. A small Decepticon team of vehicons rushed down the ramp, heading to their new duties as prison guards. Another group came from the building nearby and entered the ship.

In a matter of klicks the vehicons exited again, only this time with a small group of battered, bruised, and broken Autobots.

"More for me, eh? Always nice to see Optimus Prime's numbers slowly widling away." A large, mean looking mech chuckled menicingly. He had two vehicons on either side and a cane of sorts, made of the more difficult inmates arm and leg armor. He himself was rather intimidating, being mostly black in color, but having some red that made his optics all the more noticeable. "How is Megatron holding up? I assume he has conquered much of Cybertron since I last saw you, Soundwave."

The mech turned from the painfully moving prisoners to the other mech. He gave a simple nod, displaying an image of Cybertron on his visor. Most of it was purple, indicating the areas under Decepticon control, the other areas were either blue or gray.

The large mech let out one short burst of a laugh. "Marvelous! You must send Megatron my congratulations as well as a full report from our endeavors here." He grinned, clapping the silent mech on the shoulder. "Recently we just had a bit of a gas leak from the planet that killed a good portion of our prisoners, but no guards were lost. With this new group, and a few more already on their way, we should make up for the loss of labor easily."

Soundwave moved his gaze over the whole complex. He turned, meeting the warden's gaze, a picture of the Autobot insignia on his visor.

"Hmm? Oh, please, trouble? Haven't had a difficult scum in a long while, and with the gas leak they're even more afraid of us." He laughed loudly. "It's almost unfortunate… I was hoping to upgrade my staff soon. Oh well, I'll just have to pick my least favorite bot. Should be easy enough, after all, I hate them all!" Another menacing laugh, making several prisoners show their terror and huddle together tighter, shaking.

The black mech gave another nod, turning off his visor and heading back toward the ship. As he moved up the ramp he could hear the warden bark orders, laughing… always laughing.

That's when the shot sounded.

He whirled around to see a bot, a prisoner, one who had been on the planet for some time, rush toward him up the ramp. An escapee. Soundwave held his ground, making no move to stop the femme, nor to get out of her way. There was panic in her optics. Clearly she was moving on pure adrenaline and desperation.

Another shot, her optics grew wide. She reached out grabbing Soundwave's shoulders. "P… please… help… help me…" He watched as the life slowly drained from her optics and she slid to the floor with a soft thud. Her frame change from a dull green to a sickening gray.

A scream echoed around the bridge. The ship shook and tiled to the left, off course. Soundwave shook his helm, searching the area for rhyme or reason as to what was occurring. A second scream was muffled by a blessed mech's servo, who led the other terrified, inexperienced mech out of the bridge.

"Report! What happened?" Eclipse's loud, stern voice was barely audible above the blaring alarms.

"Ma'am, one of our engines has been critically damaged. The other won't last long with all the extra strain of propelling us forward."

She tensed, growling. "Well then shut it down!" She turned, meeting Soundwave's gaze.

She was stressed, and for good reason. He moved next to her, tilting his helm. The femme looked as though she'd break and have a panic attack, her breathing was short and quick. He placed a servo on her shoulder, giving her a nod. Hopefully that helped.

"What are our options?" She took a deep breath, giving him a small smile.

Megatron stood near the navigation computer. "Well, we can set down on a nearby planet and repair the ship, or remain in space and try to repair it here." He turned, eyeing the two near the captain's chair. "I highly recommend the first. We may not have enough supplies onboard to fix the engines."

Eclipse frowned, moving her optics to the large window. "Will this planet have what we need?"

"It's… organic according to the scanners." Another voice spoke from the seat next to the warlord. "Not necessarily what we will need, but definitely things that should be useful."

She gave a nod. "Alright, Strom… Bring us down. Carefully."

The mech complied, starting the only good engine up and slowly guiding the vessel down toward the large green planet.

The ship's window glowed orange as they passed through a rather thick atmosphere. The vessel shook and made terrible noises that couldn't have been good. They burst through a dark layer of clouds and stared in surprise at the lush foliage below. There wasn't a clearing anywhere. With no other option, the ship crashed through the rather tall wall of trees, leaving behind shattered remains of what had once been a lovely natural forest.

The crew braced themselves against anything solid as the ship rumbled and crashed through the foliage, and then scraped along the floor of the forest. Once momentum was lost, it settled back with a loud crash and hissed as it cooled off.

Soundwave picked himself up, giving the room a quick sweep before turning to a nearby control panel to check for further damage. He remained at work while the others around him stirred.

"Ya know… I'm starting to think we would've been better off in orbit." Eclipse groaned, slowly getting up. "I swear I'm bruised now…"

The door hissed open "What in the Allspark happened?! I thought this would be a smooth voyage. How am I supposed to get important work done when you crash us into giant balls of rock?!"

Soundwave glanced up, rolling his optics at the bright, cherry red mech who had just entered. Of course the mech would make a big deal out of a- well, actually this was a big situation. Nonetheless he could be more concerning and reserved about his opinions.

"We're all fine. Thanks for the concern, Knock Out." The captain rubbed her helm. "Check the crew for injuries."

He stiffened. "Not until I know what's going on. I have a right to know! Especially since your little nose dive act completely interrupted my personal spa-"

Megatron stepped forward, frowning at the red medic. "I suggest you listen to your commanding officer, Knock Out, and do what you were brought onboard to accomplish."

He swallowed hard. "Right… of course." He turned quickly to the nearest bot still on the floor.

"Captain." Soundwave turned, eyeing both superior bots and motioned them to his side. "You may wish to see this."

Eclipse exchanged a look with the former warlord before hurrying over. "What? Are we grounded for good?" She eyed the screen before him, expression concerned.

"Thankfully no. However our reentry has cost us much more that our primary engine. I highly recommend getting a team working on repairs as soon as everyone checks in." He met her gaze, waiting for an opinion.

"Right." She gave a nod, turning to the tall silver mech. "Scramble a team and collect all the resources we'll need. Ask a nearby engineer for assistance if need be." He smirked, turned and left the bridge. She looked over at her pilot. "Soundwave, I need repairs done in here as well, find someone, get it done. Then plot a course off this planet."

Soundwave turned his attention to the large window. The forest was dark despite every instrument on hand declaring it was mid-day. Thick trees and brush almost completely blotted out the star's light… it didn't help that the foliage was a dark color anyway, absorbing any light that did get through.

Something glowed in the distance, causing the mech to squint and lean forward, but before he could make it out… it vanished, rustling the nearby brush. He frowned, allowing his mind to wonder as bots rushed around him making repairs as ordered.


End file.
